The Belial Origins (21 page)

CHAPTER 64

G
erard sat on the plane, sipping a glass of scotch, ignoring the show playing on the screen in front of him. He might physically be sitting in the twenty-first century, but his mind was reliving his life in Greece.

He had met Kaya when he was out patrolling one day. She had been tending to a herd of sheep. He had never in his life seen anyone or anything more beautiful. He watched her for days, trying to find a way to speak with her. Finally, he gathered what wealth he had and presented himself to her father.

They were married a week later. And he knew a happiness he had never even dreamed of.

Gerard thought back to when Arya and Peter came along. Even now, the joy at their birth was overwhelming. These two little creatures that were part him and part Kaya had not only taken over his heart, they had made it grow.

And it was then that he had come to understand why humans fought so hard to protect their families. And so he had lain down his own sword. He could not bring that pain to another family.

For seven years, he had lived in peace.

Until Samyaza returned and slaughtered them all.

Gerard gripped the armrests. He took deep breaths, trying to control the storm raging inside him. It felt as if that day had just happened.

His eyes scanned the cabin, coming to rest on Victoria. The witch had brought back all this pain. He narrowed his eyes. He should kill her for it. But something held him back.

And he looked at that something curled up next to her: Max. The boy’s words echoed through his mind.
Your path is not set.

I have a side
, Gerard thought stubbornly, but even in his mind his words sounded hollow.

“And what are you looking so pensive about?” Elisabeta said, taking the seat next to him.

Gerard forced a smile. “Nothing. Just trying to think of everything that could go wrong. Foresee any problems.”

“You have always been a good soldier, Gerard. Looking for the problems before they appear.”

He inclined his head toward her. “Well, I have learned from the best.”

She leaned toward him. “Yes, you have.” Without blinking, she plunged a syringe into his arm and then leaped out of his range.

Gerard stared at her. “What are you doing?” His words came out slurred.

She gestured for two men to restrain him. “I’m doing exactly what I taught you to do: taking care of problems before they
become
problems.”

CHAPTER 65

L
aney stared out the window at the landscape below. She’d never been to India. All she knew of it was what she’d seen in movies, where it was depicted as a colorful country with great joy for life despite an inordinate amount of poverty.

As she stared at the skyline, however, it was hard to reconcile that movie image with what she was seeing below. To be honest, from this altitude, it looked like any other city that she had flown into.

They would be landing at Trivandrum International Airport, which was only a few miles from the temple.
At least we have that in our favor.
With a country the size of India, she had worried they’d be in for a long drive.

Jake leaned over and placed a hand on Laney’s shaking leg. “We’re good, Laney. They’ll be okay.”

She shook her head. “We don’t know that. They could have come and gone from the temple already.”

“Then we’ll deal with it.”

Laney took his hand, but she didn’t share his optimism—not this time.

Her cell rang and she snatched it up, glancing at the number before answering it. “Matt?”

The SIA agent’s voice was rushed. “Laney, I’m still about an hour away, but I managed to get some of my operatives into the area. They’re already at the temple site.”

Laney closed her eyes and let out a breath. “Good. That’s good. Any sign of Victoria and Max?”

“Not yet. I’ve also set up the safe house. I’m sending you the coordinates now.”

Laney’s phone buzzed as a text came through. “Okay, good. We’ll be landing in a few minutes. I’m going to send my uncle and Kati ahead to the safe house.”

“I’ll let the agents there know to expect them.” He paused, and Laney could hear voices in the background. “Hold on a sec.”

Laney opened her mouth to say okay, but Matt was already gone.

Jake looked at her, an eyebrow raised. She shook her head, feeling the beginnings of fear.

Matt came back on the line. “The Fallen have been spotted. They just landed and disembarked.”

“You’re sure?”

“We have visual conformation of Max, Victoria, and Elisabeta Roccori.”

Laney started. “Elisabeta? She’s here?”

“Yes.”

“Where are they now?”

“Getting into a car.”

Laney did the math. “It’ll take us at least twenty minutes to get there. We won’t make it in time.”

“My men are at the temple site and ready. What do you want us to do?”

Laney stared into Jake’s eyes. He gave her a nod; he was leaving it up to her.

Laney knew that Matt’s men were well trained, but still, she couldn’t trust them with Victoria’s and Max’s lives. They would prioritize making sure Elisabeta and her cohorts didn’t escape. Laney couldn’t risk it.

“Tell them to do nothing. Just observe. We’ll get there as fast as we can.”

CHAPTER 66

E
lisabeta strode down the aisle toward the open door of the cabin. Hakeem walked over and gestured impatiently. “Get up.”

Victoria stood, then helped Max to his feet.

Hakeem had been put in charge of them after Gerard had been incapacitated. Gerard was now bound and gagged in the back of the plane, his arm attached to a drip.
Some sort of sedative, no doubt.

Elisabeta must have found out, or realized, that Gerard remembered. Victoria had hoped, if push came to shove, Gerard might be pulled in their direction. She looked down at Max.
Or at least Max’s.

But as she was hustled out of the plane and to a waiting Mercedes SUV, that hope died. She climbed into the back with Max; Hakeem entered from the other side, careful to not to touch her. Victoria wrapped an arm protectively around Max.

She fingered the sari she had been instructed to put on while on the plane. It was a deep green that sparkled when the light hit it. It was truly beautiful. In fact, all the members of this horrific ensemble were now wearing native Indian dress, even Max. Although with Max being so young, he had been given a pair of plain linen pants and a simple shirt, not the traditional dhoti that men usually wore.

The wardrobe change gave Victoria a little hope. The clothes were clearly intended to help them blend in—which meant, perhaps, that Elisabeta intended to reach the vault with subterfuge rather than force. And more innocent people wouldn’t have to lose their lives.

Max had told them that the book they needed was in the unopened vault in the subbasement of the main temple. Victoria had never been there, but she knew that the vault was locked in such a way that no one had yet been able to figure it out.

She squeezed Max’s shoulders. Elisabeta would expect the boy to be able open it. Victoria hoped he was up to the task.

And she was terrified of what would happen if he wasn’t.

Victoria ran through dozens of possible scenarios to at least get Max away from the Fallen. Their best chance would be causing a scene at the temple entrance. Victoria knew it was well guarded, but she also knew Elisabeta would think nothing of taking out innocent bystanders. And none of the forces at the temple were prepared to take on the Fallen.

Victoria looked out the window. She had been sure Henry and Laney would be waiting for them. She glanced back over her shoulder, hoping to see a car trailing them. She couldn’t spot one.

Doubt began to creep over her. What if they didn’t know where they were? What if they didn’t reach them in time?

Max squeezed her hand. She looked down into his solemn blue eyes. “They’ll find us,” he said quietly.

“What was that?” Hakeem demanded. Like all of Elisabeta’s men, he was muscular and no-nonsense. But also like the others, he had a fear that Victoria could sense—fear of Victoria and Max. It tended to make the men even gruffer with their two prisoners.

“Nothing,” Victoria said. “He just needs to go to the bathroom.”

“He should have gone on the plane.”

“He’ll be fine,” Victoria said.

Hakeem scowled and stared out the window.

Victoria could feel Max shaking. She pulled her arm tighter around him, and he leaned into her. Victoria put her chin on top of his head. She wasn’t sure how she was going to get out of this. But on her life, she was going to get Max out.

The city of Thiruvananthapuram flashed by as they sped along the highway. Motorcycles and mopeds dipped in and out between the cars. Hyundais and Kias made up a large portion of the cars driving by; most were older models, but occasionally a new car zipped through and disappeared in a flash of shiny color.

It’s all so different
, she thought, recalling the last time she was here.

With a shock, she realized that it had been almost two hundred years—back before cars, skyscrapers, and planes. She looked around. She didn’t think India had benefited from the modern age. Truth be told, she didn’t care for big cities. Too many people crammed into too few buildings. Humans were not meant to live like this.

Before long, Victoria could see the temple in the distance, looming over the skyline. As they approached, the crowds and traffic grew thicker, and stall vendors lined the sides of the roads. The car slowed, and she could smell curry-flavored dishes even through the closed windows.

Victoria said a silent thank-you for the delay. The more time it took them to get there, the better chances they had of Elisabeta’s plan failing.

A police car pulled in front of them, its lights blaring. Victoria’s hopes rose. Maybe Henry and Laney had been in contact with the police, or the SIA.

But then Victoria realized with dismay that the police car was carving a path for them through the crowd. Elisabeta must have paid off the cops. Too soon, they were at their destination.

Following the discovery in the vaults, the government had taken over security at the temple. Everything within one hundred feet of the temple was designated as a security zone and was surrounded by a police barricade. The five to ten thousand pilgrims who visited daily had to go through metal detectors and submit to patdowns, and armed commandos in camouflage ringed the site.

“Get out,” the driver of their car ordered.

“It’s okay, Max,” Victoria said as she opened the door and pulled him out with her. She held his hand carefully within hers as she stared up at the temple.

It was an incredible work of art. Each floor had figures carved into the eastern facade. Up close she could see the giant entryway that loomed above the crowds. In front of it was a flagpole covered in gold-plated copper.

Just ahead of them were a few of the armed guards that encircled the temple. Victoria had hoped perhaps they had been warned, but none of them paid much attention to Victoria and her group. And more worrisome, none of the Fallen seemed concerned.

Elisabeta headed to the left through the crowd, her Fallen following behind her.

Hakeem shoved Victoria forward. “Move.”

Victoria swallowed down her anger, clasped Max’s hand, and headed after Elisabeta. Her eyes darted around, looking for any sign of Laney, Henry, or Jake. But there was none.

Ahead, Elisabeta walked the length of face of the temple and turned. By the time Victoria had turned the corner, a Fallen was shaking hands with one of the guards.
No doubt a few crisp bills are hidden in that handshake.
The guard opened a side door with a key and waved them through.

Victoria looked around. Where was the rest of the security?

Max clutched her hand and pointed to a dumpster along the side of the temple. Two pairs of boots could be seen sticking out of the top.

There was a tremor in Max’s voice. “Victoria?”

She patted his hand, careful to keep her voice calm even as her heart began to beat faster. “Let’s go.”

She shepherded Max forward and stepped through the door, feeling the violation. None of them should be here. The temple was forbidden to people outside the Hindu faith. Victoria closed her eyes.
I’m sorry
. She wasn’t sure who she was apologizing to, but it seemed the right thing to do.

She and Max made their way down a dimly lit hallway, Hakeem and two other of Elisabeta’s men right behind them. Victoria glanced through a room and the window at the far side gave a view of the reclining Vishnu. Along the walls were incredible paintings and murals, most of them depicting Hindu scenes, such as Vishnu disguised as a child meeting the sage, or Vishnu in his more common depiction with blue skin and four arms.

The group walked out of the side hallway into a busy, stone courtyard. The reclining Vishnu in his golden splendor was to their right at the far end. Pilgrims milled around, some with their heads bowed. Others spoke quietly. But all were respectful in their movements.

Elisabeta, though, rushed them through quickly. Victoria held her breath, expecting someone to yell at them to stop, but no one paid them any extra attention. With their saris and dhotis, they looked no different than any of the other devotees.

Ahead, a man with a gray beard and a well-used dhoti stood, shifting from foot to foot, apparently waiting for them. When Elisabeta approached, he nodded and began to walk quickly down the main temple hall. He paused for only a moment before turning and heading down a side staircase.

“Hold on to the rail,” Victoria said as she and Max followed.

The cooler air rose up to greet them as they descended the stone steps. Max stumbled on the second-to-last step, nearly pulling Victoria and him over.

Victoria steadied him. “Are you all right?”

Max nodded, but even in the dim light Victoria could see that he was paler, and she didn’t think it was the stairs that had caused him to stumble. She struggled for something to say to reassure him, but she knew there was no point: he knew almost better than she did how dire the stakes were. So instead she just took his hand with a gentle squeeze and continued down the hall.

A line of goose bumps broke out over Victoria’s skin, and she felt a shiver run through Max as well.

They followed the man who had met them quickly down the tiled hall, cold stone walls lining the way. Two large vault rooms were hewn out of the rock, their solid double doors guarding their contents. These vaults held the bulk of the temple’s wealth. Inside, Victoria knew, was a treasure hunter’s dream: coins, gems, ancient art, relics.

Victoria glanced around, wondering where the guards were. But perhaps guards weren’t allowed in the temple itself.

But Elisabeta wasn’t interested in that kind of wealth.

The man made his way down the hall and turned another corner. Ahead stood an unremarkable bamboo door.

The man stood to the side. Once everyone had arrived at the door, he left without a word, hurrying back down the hall the way they had come.

A smile crept across Elisabeta’s face. “Finally.”

She stepped forward and pulled back the bamboo door. Behind it was another door—the vault door. Two cobras were inscribed there with their mouths open, their fangs large. Without looking, Victoria knew that the door would have no noticeable nuts, bolts, or locks. This door was sealed in a way that had eluded modern man’s ability to understand it.

And now Elisabeta was depending upon a five-year-old boy to open it.

Victoria took Max’s hand and knelt down in front of him. “Max, just do what they want. It’s okay.”

“But you…”

Victoria wiped a stray lock of hair from his forehead, and for a moment, it was Henry in front of her, not Max. Her heart felt tight. She blinked the image away and focused on the actual boy in front of her. “It will be all right. I know what’s going to happen as well as you. And it is meant to be. It’s my destiny. You know that.”

Tears crested in his eyes. “But—”

Victoria shook her head. “What you see is not carved in stone. Laney, Henry, and Jake will be here. They’ll help.”

Max leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, his words muffled in her shoulder. “But it won’t spare you the pain.”

She held him to her, feeling a tremor run though him. She spoke quietly into his ear. “That fate was determined a long time ago.”

“I’m sorry for all you’ve been through,” Max said. “I wish I could help you avoid this.”

Victoria closed her eyes, surprisingly comforted once again by the feel of those little arms around her. And reminded why what was to come was meant to be.

“Max, it’s time,” Elisabeta said, her voice uncharacteristically gentle.

Max pulled back and looked into Victoria’s eyes. Her heart broke at the innocence there. She kissed him on the forehead. “It’s all right. Go on.”

Max looked at her for a long moment before turning away. And Victoria could have sworn she saw a little of his innocence give way to duty.

As Max walked up to the giant door, everyone in the room fell silent. And for a moment, he just stared at the door, unmoving. Victoria held her breath; she worried he wasn’t up to the task.
What will they do to him if he can’t open it?

Then Max took a deep breath and began to speak softly. No, not speak. Chant.

Relief flowed through Victoria. Of course. There were no locks, no keyholes. The key was sound. The vibrations in the notes Max was using would affect the lock.

Over and over again he repeated a phrase she hadn’t heard in thousands of years. His voice rose and fell in a language humanity had no record of. Even Victoria had forgotten of its existence until Max’s sweet voice rang out.

Max’s voice became louder with each note. In her mind she remembered the last time she’d heard those notes; it had been a different temple, a different lock.

Her eyes flicked to Max.
But the same soul.

The hairs on the back of her neck began to rise. It felt like an electric pulse was sliding over her skin, and she broke out in fresh goose bumps. Elisabeta looked uneasy—as did the guards with her.